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If you’re trying to gain a sense of the massive losses incurred as a result of the massive Madoff Ponzi scheme, try this on for size: three cubic acres of money (approximately five billion quntuplatillion umptuplatillion multuplatillion impossibidillion fantasticatrillion dollars), a cash reserve once so liquid that one could “dive around in it like a porpoise,” has dried up over a course of mere days as Scrooge McDuck worked to keep cash flowing to shore up his failing empire of uncountable oil wells, gold mines, railroads, factories and fish houses.

The vast Scrooge fortune dates back to the late 1800’s and was made on the seas, and in the mines, and in the cattle wars of the old frontier. “I made it by being tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties, and I made it square,” according to a word balloon positioned over the scowling face of Scrooge McDuck. The McDuck fortune has been imperiled many times in the past, including multiple hostile takeover attempts by Beagle Brothers Holdings LLC. “Hats off to Madoff,” says 176-831, adding, ” I hope Bernie likes prunes for breakfast.”

Scrooge deflected questions about the spcifics of his loss. “I’m ruined. I’m only a poor old man,” stated the fowl, leading many to wonder if Scrooge’s mental capacity had diminished.

In this still photograph from Disney’s The Shaggy Dog, Moochie Daniels (Kevin Corcoran) appears to be engrossed in a Dell Comic: Uncle Scrooge #18, from June/Aug 1957, which features “Land of the Pygmy Indians”by Carl Barks. (The Shaggy Dog was released in March of 1959).

But wait a minute. There’s something strange about this picture. The price in the upper right hand corner of that comic is 15 cents. Folks, Uncle Scrooge #18 was, is, and always will be a dime comic. If you need proof, the bottom row of the covers below contains issues 21, 22, and 23, and they all say 10 cents.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I submit to you that Moochie is reading a comic book that does not exist.

But wait a minute. Check the back of that still. What does it say? “Copyright MCMLXVII Walt Disney Productions – World Rights Reserved. ” OK, so the still was created for a 1967 re-release, and somebody airbrushed out “10 cents” and replaced it with “15 cents,” so that kids would not get wise to the fact that the comics that were costing them 15 cents… had once sold for one thin dime. End of story.

But wait a minute. Here’s a frame grab from the DVD. The comic does, indeed, have a 15 cent price tag. Hmm.

But wait a minute. Dell must not have sold nearly as many comics at 15 cents as they did at a dime, because after seven issues of Scrooge at 15 cents, they dropped the price on the title (and all the rest of their comics) back to 12 cents an issue. And it stayed 12 cents until 1968.

So why is Moochie reading a 1957 comic in 1958 with a 1968 price in a 1967 still?

My nomination for one of the great unsolved Disney mysteries of all time.

Isn’t Life Terrible?

"Isn't Life Terrible" is a Charley Chase short from 1925. The title was derived from a 1924 D.W. Griffith film, "Isn't Life Wonderful?" Other Charley Chase film titles that ask questions are "What Price Goofy?" (1925), "Are Brunettes Safe?" (1927), and "Is Everybody Happy?" (1928). Chase abandoned his titles with question marks for titles with exclamation points during the sound era.
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